Gothic Architecture & Sculpture

By: Angel Shu, Emily Li

What is your impression of Gothic?

Medieval Map• France (Normandy)• Britain

• Germany

• Italy

Origin of the word “ Gothic”

• Germanic Tribe • The word “Gothic”= barbaric

Time Line of Gothic Periods

Second crusade(1147-1149)

(1140-1150)Abbot Suger remodeled St. Denis France

Medicant order (13th century)

(14th century)Black death economic crisis and hundred years warEarly

Gothic (1140-1200)

High Gothic- Rayonnant style(1200-1350)

Late Gothic(1350-1520)

1200 CE 1300CE-1500CE1100CE.

Construction Method of Medieval Time

Influential Figure- Abbot Suger

• Inventor of Gothic Architecture

• Friend and advisor of Louis VI and VII

• Regent of FranceAbbot Suger Louis XII

Basic Structure & Characteristics

Early Gothic:(1140-1200)

• Facade• Nave• Transept• Choir• Chancel• Arcade• Aisles• Triforium• Clerestory

Early Gothic- St. Denis

Saint Denis Basilica-Île-de-France

St.Denis Basilica - Nave

• Renovated by Suger around 1140-1150

• Enlarge space• Verticality• More light , striving

towards heaven• Contains all the basic

elements

Pointed Arch

• Stress line• build higher • Results in Joist system

Romanesque VS Gothic

The Stress line

Flying Butress

• To support the outward force of the arches

• Open up space for windows

Regular Buttress Flying Buteress

Pointed ribbed Vaults Barrel Vaults

Groin Vaults

Arched Vault

• Reduces the weight• Heighten the church• Built on ribs

Common Decorations

Pinnacle Spiral

Early Gothic – Notre Dame de Paris

• Eugène Viollet-le-Duc• Contains relics• The flying buttress not considered in plan

Vaulted ceiling of Notre Dame

High Gothic ( Rayonnant) 1200- 1350)

Rose Window Coloured Glass window

Foil Tracery

High Gothic ( Rayonnant)-Sainte Chapelle

Sainte. Chapelle- Paris, France. 1239- 1248

• Stained Glass• Absence of wall• weightless and verticality• Combination of layers• Founded by Louis IX

Late Gothic ( Flamboyant) -1350-1500

S- Curve Tracery

Traceries Everywhere

More complicated patterns,vaults

Late Gothic Examples

Palais de justice de Rouen ( Normandy France) 1499

Beuvais Cathedral

Gothic in England-Early, Decorative perpendicular)

Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester England

Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury EnglandYork Minister, York England

Gothic in Germany

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany

Gothic in Italy

Not so GothicDoge’s Palace in Venice

Towards New Generation• Neo Gothic Architectures• Institutions, parliament

Tribune Tower, Chicago Houses of parliament in London

Towards New Generation

Hart house of University of Toronto

Do you Know?• Many measurements were referred from bible

• Floor of the Amien Cathedral France• 50 by50 Roman feet• Noah’s Ark

Gothic sculptureWhat is it?•Developed in France out of Romanesque

•Continued until the late 15th century

•Have 3 styles

•A step to the Three-dimensional

•Stone and wood

What are the functions of the gothic sculpture?

• Decorate churches.• Tells a story.• Shows the personality.

Creation of a gothic sculptureCarve on the stone

•Carve on one single stone

•Using smaller blades when doing the details

Carve on the wood

•Different parts or a single wood

•Nailed and glued together for the different parts

A video for the creation of a wooden sculpture

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wb-T1F033Q&list=PLD29BC21E203C72D0

Styles of gothic sculpture

Early gothic sculpture(1150~1230)

High gothic sculpture(1230~1400)

Late gothic sculpture(1400~1500)

Early gothic sculpture

•Flat •Shape of the body is based on lines•A liner shape

•Lack of different expressions•Work as a decoration for the pillar

 Benedetto Antelami

• In 1178 he was at work at the Cathedral of Parma.

• Sculptural decorate of the Baptistry of Parma.

Italian Sculptor, ca.1150-1230

High gothic sculpture

•More body and facial expressions•communicate•Long body

•Showing the shape of the body•More independent

Andrea Pisano

• First learned the trade as a goldsmith.

• Master of the work of Florence cathedral.

Italian Sculptor, ca.1295-1348

Late gothic sculpture

•Effectively showing movements•Shape of the body is more natural

•Not extremely liner•Personality formed•An independent art work

Claus Sluter

• His work was highly emotional.

• His most famous surviving work is the Well of Moses.

Flemish Sculptor, ca.1350-1406

Who will appear in a gothic sculpture•Important figures in the bible

•Monsters

•Kings or nobles

Link to contemporary art?

• A more independent sculpture.

• The movementand the expression.

Thank you for your time!

Question Time

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 1What is the function/purpose of Gothic architecture & sculpture?

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Level 2What makes Gothic Architecture

different than Romanesque Architecture?

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Level 3• Why would they make the

sculpture more active than the Romanesque sculpture?

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